This course has an assignment that is due by 11:55 pm Central Standard Time on Wednesday night of the first week of class. Failure to complete this assignment will result in your removal from the course for non-participation.

1. Coakley, Jay. Sport in Society, Issues and Controversies (12th ed.) McGraw Hill: 2017. ISBN: 978-0-07-352354-5

2. Cox, Richard. Sport Psychology: Concepts and Applications (7th ed.).  McGraw Hill: 2012. ISBN: 978-0-07-802247-0

This course applies the principles and scientific methods from psychology to study human behavior in sports and physical education.  It also includes the study of the sociological perspective of sports in today’s society. Students will explore achievement, motivation, anxiety, self-confidence, cohesion, adherence and leadership in sports and physical education. They will also examine sport-related behaviors as they occur in social and cultural contexts.

COURSE OBJECTIVES

The course will cover a variety of topics, goals and objectives including:

1. An overview of high school & collegiate sport participation.
2. An in-depth look at the impoverishment of children’s games in America.
3. Review the attitudes toward female athletes and the homosexual phobias present in sport.
4. Explore topics and themes that have received limited attention in other sociology of sports areas but have been long standing social concerns.
5. A study of the challenges and benefits of the big-time collegiate sport experience.
6. A critique of media’s impact on sport and its portrayal of gender, race, and disability.
7. Students will identify essential components of sport psychology such as motivation, personality, arousal, achievement, leadership, fear of failure and fear of success.
8. Students will study critical issues related to ethics in sport psychology and sociological issues.
9. Students will contribute to class discussion forums concerning sport psychology and sport & society topics.